Photo: Flickr
They’ve got to get some better fact-checkers over at the Mail Online. The digital tabloid could be a candidate for its own ‘sidebar of shame’ this weekend, after they falsely claimed that Idris Elba was related to another actor with a vaguely similar name.
Appearing to forget how names actually work, an almighty assumption was made by the publisher. In a story pondering if Damson Idris would be chosen as the next James Bond, the author claims that he could usurp his ‘older brother’ by taking a role he was previously tipped for.
The biggest problem with that, however, is that there is no family relationship between the pair. Damson Idris himself has previously commented on the matter, stating that many other people mistakenly have them down as siblings.
“The first time I met him was at a friend’s party. Idris Elba was like, ‘Hey, come over here.’ I walk over to him and he’s like, ‘I know you, I know you, they always ask if you’re my little brother. You’re doing good, you’re doing good’.” | Damson Idris, April 2022
As you’d expect, the Mail Online has since deleted Tweets – no, we’re not calling them X’s just yet – that linked to the original story. The article remains live, and all references to Idris Elba have been removed accordingly.
Well, you can delete your posts, but screenshots last forever…
Damson Idris is certainly a star on the rise. He has shot to fame for his work in Snowfall, and with some bookies, he is now the second-favourite to take on the mantle of 007. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, of Kick Ass fame, is currently the top pick – and his odds have tumbled to 5/2.
Rege-Jean Page, Henry Cavill, and James Norton are also in the mix, according to SkyBet. Meanwhile, some of the long, long shots for the role include Richard Ayoade, Colin Firth, and Clive Myrie (yes, the newsreader), all valued at 1000/1.
Don’t waste your money, that’s our advice.
